Welcome to our ongoing series The Anatomy Of A Good Song. In this series we aim to highlight a song from a West Virginia artist that sets the standard as to what a quality song should be in regards to the overall feel and sound of a song. That’s not to say all songs should sound the same or are created equally, but these songs are great examples of what is possible.
Today we present to you, Martyr by The Moon My Twin! Be sure to follow this outstanding band and, as always, check out our Born & Bred Spotify Playlist for more great WV music!
Vocals: We probably listened to this song three full times before it clicked for us and we said: stop everything! This is a woman! Emay offers an outstanding vocal performance with a deep, full sound reminiscent of Annie Lenox. Regardless of high or low notes, Emay slays the vocal performance. She delivers the lyrics with a desperation and passion as she talks to a former love interest about their fallout.
Production: TMMT went all in on the production of the songs on TMMT II and there is no place that is more evident than on Martyr. Christopher Quattro laid some beautiful shimmery guitars that created the perfect bed for vocalist Emay to lay her vocals. Drummer, Charles Richard plays exactly what the song needs and avoids the trap of overplaying that some drummers would fall into with a track like this. The blend on the mix of the instruments is perfection for this type of alt rock. Emay sings her own harmonies that aren’t overdone and placed in all of the proper places. Overall the production is what this song called for.
The Hook: This song is interesting in that there isn’t a vocal hook that you would point to as being an ear worm that the lyrics get stuck in your head, but it is full of musical hooks and vocal parts that you will find yourself humming well after the song is over. This isn’t a pop song so we wouldn’t expect to find that kind of musical effort here but the song itself is a hook from start to finish.
Lyrics: One of the biggest strengths of Martyr is the lyrics that Emay wrote. You can tell she was dealing with someone that had a self inflated sense of worth without ever directly saying it. The best lyrics are the ones that tell a story without having to tell the story.
“All the life I have yet lived |All the love I’ve left to give| All the dreams I long to know| Lay dormant in your soul”
